In the middle of a wide-spread unrest in the Arab world, this April 2011, the capital of Jordan, Amman, hosted an international advanced course and workshop on “Frontiers in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells” and an International Congress on Fertility and Genetics (http://www.fertigen.com.jo/ConferenceDetails.aspx). The aim of the advanced training course, organized by the International Cell Research Organization (ICRO), and the Jordanian Society of Fertility and Genetics, was to attract students and clinicians from the neighboring countries and demonstrate the fantastic recent achievements in the area of stem cell research. The lectures and practical sessions, presented by internationally acknowledged scientists, included overviews of recent achievements in pluripotent stem cell research, emphasizing the role of both the embryonic (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. A major emphasis was placed on the clinical achievements in germ cell and umbilical cord stem cell transplantation issues, and on the potential of fast and successful prenatal and pre-implantation molecular genetic diagnostics.

The recently “rejuvenated” ICRO, with its half-century tradition of educating and mentoring promising young scientists with outstanding advanced training courses in the developing world, assured a high quality of this event. Participation of local and international speakers and live laboratory demonstrations made the course a temporary center of advanced clinical technologies. Course and Congress participants came from throughout the Greater Middle East, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iran, Libya, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and, of course, our host country, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The organization of the stem cell course in the Holy Land especially emphasized that issues of “eternal life” and “rejuvenation” are already at hand—at least in the pluripotent stem cell research field.

In the lively atmosphere of the course about 60 participants had heated discussions on the possibility and ethics of advanced prenatal diagnostics, and on regulatory issues reflecting the need of separation of clinically effective versus unapproved, unwarranted stem cell treatments. An open discussion of many ethical issues, reflecting profound differences in religion and medical tradition in the different countries, made this course exceptionally interesting for both teachers and students. Dr. Zaid Kilani, the Congress President, together with Dr. Abdel Latif Abu Khadra, President of the Jordanian society for Fertility and Genetics, Dr. Rana Dajani of the Hashemite University of Jordan, and their Organizing Committee proved to be an excellent organizers and dedicated physician-scientists and, focusing on fertility, genetics and stem cells in a wide range of advanced therapeutic applications.

The International Congress, closely attached to the advanced course, brought both scientific events to a magnificent social gathering. The Congress was opened by Jordanian Princess H.R.H. Basma Bint Talal, the late King Hussein’s sister and King Abdullah’s Aunt (Fig. 1). To a great joy of the guest scholars, she gave an excellent free talk in English on the need of modern biological science to flourish even further in the Muslim world, so well known about its eminent classical scholars. She especially emphasized the need for modern medicine in the area of fertility, thus liberating women and promoting their health at this part of the world as well. As we learned later, in fact, at the time of need she went to the Mayo clinic to donate her bone marrow for King Hussein’s stem cell therapy.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Opening Session of the JORDIAN SOCIETY FOR FERTILITY AND GENETICS Congress and Commencement for the Stem Cell Workshop. High Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan (Center). Dr. Zaid Kilani is directly to her right and the authors (B.S.; 3rd right and G.S.; her left) are also in this figure together with many of the speakers

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Course organizers noted that it is rare in the Middle East to have in depth training courses and this gave the participants the flavor of how investigations are conducted in the United States and Europe as well as opening new horizons and opportunities to speak with internationally renowned scientists. In addition to the many physician-scientists in the workshop and congress, there were about a dozen fundamental doctoral trainees in the course and perhaps twice that number in the Congress.

Culture, art—and as we believe—science could easily bring together people even with widely different views and ambitions, and thus may make this troubled part of the world a new melting pot of scientific achievements and advanced medical technologies.